Bloemfontein - The Hefer Commission will start going through secret files on Friday in search of evidence to test allegations that Bulelani Ngcuka, national director of public prosecutions, and Justice Minister Penuell Maduna acted as spies for the apartheid government.

A meeting with Transport Minister Dullah Omar will also be scheduled because Omar was minister of justice at the time of Ngcuka's appointment.

John Bacon, secretary of the commission, travelled to Pretoria on Thursday where he would be visiting different security agencies, including the National Intelligence Agency, in search of information.

This comes after weeks of wrangling between the commission and these agencies, who are reluctant to disclose their documents to the commission.

Bacon wasn't sure on Thursday about the conditions that would determine his access to documents, but said he was "hopeful" that everything would go according to plan.

"We have followed the correct procedures."

Bacon would probably be given access to the files, but he might not be allowed to remove them. He would therefore have to testify before the commission on his findings.

The "chief plaintiffs" before the commission, Mac Maharaj, former transport minister, and Mo Shaik, former African National Congress (ANC) operative and advisor to the minister of foreign affairs, heard on Wednesday that the commission would not help them to procure documents.

They were also subpoenaed on Thursday to provide the commission with documents to prove their allegations when they appear again on November 17.

If they are not able to provide these documents in support of their evidence, they could be fined or given a prison sentence.

Maharaj and Shaik undertook to hand their statements to the commission before their next appearance.

Bacon said a detailed list of people who will testify before the commission will be available on Monday.

He said the commission was still corresponding with deputy president Jacob Zuma about the possibility of him testifying. Zuma was ANC head of intelligence during the eighties.

With acknowledgements to Mandy Rossouw and the Beeld.